The Defense Department’s acquisition office is planning on utilizing and further defining two expanded authorities focused on speed in the next few months.

DoD’s will release detailed policy early next year on “middle tier” acquisition — an authority given to the Pentagon in the 2016 defense authorization act, said Ellen Lord, DoD undersecretary for acquisition and sustainment.

This week on Amtower Off Center, host Mark Amtower interviewed Ed DeLisle, principal attorney and chair of the Government Contracting Group for Offit Kurman and Brendan Walsh, Sr VP Partner Relations at 1901 Group.

Do political contributions help a company get more federal contracts with more favorable terms and conditions? It’s an old question, but Reza Houston, assistant professor of finance at Ball State University, has done research he said proves the answer is “yes.” Houston joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin to explain more.

Views from the Corner Office is a new show designed to talk to the private sector leaders that influence and impact the federal market. The goal of this monthly discussion is for federal executives, lawmakers and other industry experts to gain insights and a better understanding into the trends, the challenges and the evaluation of the technology, acquisition and leadership in the federal market by the executives who lead the federal practices of government contractors.

LaJuanna Russell, the president and CEO of Business Management Associates, sat down with Federal News Network’s executive editor Jason Miller at the station’s studios in Washington, D.C.

A regular highlight of the NASCIO Annual Conference has been the release of the State CIO Survey. Analyzing trends and identifying developing issues has always been a popular exercise with state CIOs and the 2018 version was no different.

Just because apocryphal books live outside the Bible doesn’t mean you should never read them. And just because certain buying authorities live outside the Federal Acquisition Regulation doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use them.

For months contractors have been looking for ways to help agencies deal with the latest President’s Management Agenda. Now another agenda is out: The 2019 regulatory agenda. Contractors are going to have to deal with that one, also. Alan Chvotkin, executive vice president and counsel at the Professional Services Council, joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin for highlights of what’s in store.